Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Disease

Non- Hodgkin’s Lymphoma or NHLs are a heterogenous group of cancers that originate from the neoplastic growth of lymphoid tissue. As in CLL, the neoplastic cells are thought to arise from a single clone of lymphocytes; however, in NHL, the cells may vary morphologically. Most NHLs involve malignant B lymphocytes; only 5% involve T lymphocytes. In contrast to Hodgkin’s disease, the lymphoid tissues involved are largely infiltrated with malignant cells. The spread of these malignant lymphoid cells occurs unpredictably, and true localized disease is uncommon. Lymph nodes from multiple sites may be infiltrated, as may sites outside the lymphoid system (extra nodal tissue). The incidence of NHL has increased dramatically over the past decade; it is now the fourth most common type of cancer diagnosed in the United States and the fifth most common cause of cancer death.   The incidence increases with each decade of life; the average age at diagnosis is 50 to 60 years old. Although no common etiologic factor has been identified, there is an increased incidence of NHL in people with immunodeficiencies or autoimmune disorders, viral infections including Epstein- Barr virus and HIV, or exposure to pesticides, solvents, dyes, helicobacter pylori, human T cell leukemia, and hepatitis C virus. Researchers also say that obesity could be one of the risk factors of having Non- Hodgkin’s lymphoma and those whose occupation involves chemicals and herbicides.   Prognosis varies greatly  among the various types of NHL. Long term survival more than 10 years is commonly achieved in low- grade, localized lymphomas. Even with aggressive disease forms, cure is possible in at least one third of patients who receive aggressive treatments. Symptoms are highly variable, reflecting the diverse nature of these diseases. With early- stage disease, or with the types that are considered more indolent, symptoms may be virtually absent or very minor, and the illness typically is not diagnosed until it progresses to a later stage, when the patient is more symptomatic. At these stages III or IV, lymphadenopathy is noticeable. One third of patients have â€Å"B† symptoms like recurrent fever, drenching night sweats, and unintentional weight loss of 10% or more. Non- Hodgkin’s lymphoma usually begins with the presence of one or more swollen lymph nodes on the side of the neck, collarbone, and under the arms. The most common sites for lymphadenopathy are the cervical, supraclavicular, and mediastinal nodes, involvement of the iliac or inguinal nodes or spleen is much less common. A mediastinal mass maybe seen on the chest x- ray; occasionally, the mass is large enough to compress the trachea and cause dyspnea.   Pruritus is common; it can be extremely distressing, and the cause is unknown. Approximately 20% of patients experience brief but severe pain after drinking alcohol. All organs are vulnerable to invasion of NHL. The symptoms result from compression of organs by the tumor, such as cough and pulmonary effusion, jaundice from hepatic involvement or bile duct obstruction, abdominal pain from  Splenomegaly or retroperitoneal adenopathy, or bone pain which is from skeletal involvement. Herpes zoster infections are common. A cluster of constitutional symptoms has important prognostic implications. A mild anemia is the most common hematologic finding. The WBC count may be elevated or decreased. The platelet count is suppressing hematopoiesis. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate or ESR and the serum copper level are used by some clinicians to assess disease activity. The actual diagnosis of NHL is categorized into a highly complex classification system based on histopathology, immunophenotyping, and cytogenetic analyses of the malignant cells. The specific histopathologic type of the disease has important prognostic implications. Treatment also varies and is based on these features. Indolent or less aggressive types tend to have small cells and are distributed in a follicular pattern. Aggressive types tend to have large or immature cells distributed through the nodes in a diffuse pattern. Staging, also an important factor is typically based on data obtained from CT scans, bone marrow biopsies, and occasionally cerebrospinal fluid analysis. The stage is based on the site of disease and its spread to other sites. For example, in stage 1 disease is highly localized and may respond well to localize therapy like radiation therapy. In contrast, stage IV disease is detected in at least one extra nodal site. Although low- grade lymphomas may not require treatment until the disease progresses to a later stage, historically they have also been relatively unresponsive to treatment in that most therapeutic modalities did not improve overall survival. More aggressive types of NHL like Lymphoblastic lymphoma and Burkitt’s lymphoma require prompt initiation of chemotherapy; however, these types tend to be more responsive to treatments. Treatment is based on the actual classification of disease, the stage of disease, prior treatment, and the patient’s ability to tolerate therapy. If the disease is not an aggressive form and is truly localized, radiation alone may be the treatment of choice. With aggressive types of NHL, aggressive combinations of chemotherapeutic agents are given even in early stages. More intermediate radiation therapy for stage 1 and II disease. The biologic agent interferon has been approved for the treatment of follicular low- grade lymphomas, and an antibody to CD20, rituximab (Rituxan), has been effective in achieving partial responses in patients with recurrent low- grade lymphoma. Studies of this agent in combination with conventional chemotherapy have demonstrated an improvement in survival as well. Central nervous system involvement is also common with some aggressive forms of NHL; in this situation, cranial radiation or intrathecal chemotherapy is used in addition to systemic chemotherapy. Treatment after relapse is controversial. Much is known about the long term effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy, primarily from the large numbers of people who were cured of by these treatments. The various complications are immune dysfunction, herpes infections, pneumococcal sepsis, acute myeloid leukemia or AML, Myelodysplastic syndrome or MDS, solid tumors, thyroid cancer, thymic hyperplasia, hypothyroidism, Pericarditis, cardiomyopathy, pneumonotis, avascular necrosis, growth retardation, infertility, impotence and dental caries. Aside from radiation therapy and chemotherapy, there are also stem cell transplantation, biologic therapy and radio immunotherapy. To diagnose Non- Hodgkin’s lymphoma with a patient, a nurse or a health care professional should do physical examination and anamnesis or a family history of the patient which could present the possibilities that he or she could have NHL. Most of the care for patients with Non- Hodgkin’s disease is performed in the outpatient setting, unless complications occur like infection, respiratory compromise due to mediastinal mass. For patients who require treatment, chemotherapy and radiation therapy are most commonly used. Chemotherapy cause systemic side effects like myelosuppression, nausea, hair loss, risk for infection, whereas the side effects from radiation therapy are specific to the area being irradiated. For example, patients receiving abdominal radiation therapy may experience nausea and diarrhea but not hair loss. Regardless of the type of treatment, all patients may experience fatigue. The risk of infection is significant in patients, not only from treatment related myelosuppression but also from the defective immune response that results from the disease itself. Patients need to be taught to minimize the risk for infection, to recognize signs of possible infection, and to contact the health care professional should such signs develops. Many lymphomas can be cured with current treatments. However, as survival rates increase, the incidence of second malignancies, particularly AML or MDs, also increases. Therefore, survivors should be screened regularly for the development of second malignancies. The nurse should instruct the patient to stay away from strenuous activities. He should always have the time to get adequate rest. And the nurse should encourage the patient to take medications religiously, increase fluid intake. The patient should be instructed to keep himself from any injuries and falls. The nurse should raise side rails if the patient it admitted in a hospital. The family should also be instructed to just keep on showing some support towards the patient. Hhould always rie and falls. he patient to take medications religiously, increase fluid intake. the   uld always have the time to get adequate rest. an trenous . g NOn- could have NHL. amination and anamnesis or a family histor Having Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is not that good. Patients are sometimes emotionally disturbed especially if they are working and they are the ones supporting their respective families. They would also think of the payments in the electricity, hospital bills and medication. Whenever patients asked something about his/ her condition, the health care professional should be able to answer it to help the patient alleviate worrying. The patient and his/ her family should be given support groups for counseling and for them to be able to express their emotions towards the current situation they are in.h care professional should be able to answer it to ent. ng whenever swollen lymphnodes are References: 1 Cavalli, F. (1998). Rare syndromes in Hodgkin’s and Non- Hodgkin’s. Annals of Oncology. 9 (Suppl. 5), S109- S113. 2. Coiffer, B. (2002). Rituximab in the treatment of diffuse large B- cell lymphomas. Seminars in Oncology, 29 (1, Suppl. 2), 30- 35. 3. Porth, C. M. (2002). Pathophysiology: Concepts of altered health states (6th Ed.).  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. 4. Skeel, R. (Ed.). (1999). Handbook of Cancer Chemotherapy (5th Ed.). Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins 5. Smeltzer, Suzanne, and Brenda G. Bare. Medical- Surgical Nursing. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2004.                                 

Account: Generally Accepted Accounting Principles and Long Term Liabilities

Chapter 12 : 1/ As part of the initial investment , a partner contributes office equipment that had cost $20,000 and on which accumulated depreciation of $ 12500 had been recorded . If the partners agree on a valuation of $ 9000 for the equipment , what amount should be debited to the office equipment account? a/ 7500 c/ 12500 b/ 9000 d/ 20000 2/ Chip and Dale agree to form a partnership. Chip is to contribute $50000 in assets and to devote one half time to the partnership. Dale is to contribute 20000 and to devote full time to the partnership. How will Chip and Dale share in the division of net income or net loss? a/ 5:2 c/ 1:1 b/ 1:2 d/ 2. 5:1 3/ Tracey and Hepburn invest 100,000 and 50,000 , respectively , in a partnership and agree to a division of net income that provides for an allowance of interest at 10 % on original investments , salary allowances of 12,000 and 24000 , respectively , with the remainder divided equally . What would be Tracey’s share of a net income o 45,000? a/ 22500 c/ 19,000 b/ 22000 d/ 10000 4/ Lee and Stills are partners who share income in the ratio of 2:1 and who have capital balances of 65,000 and 35,000 , respectively . If Morr , with the consent of Stills, acquired one half of lee’s interest for 40,000 for what amount would Morr’s capital account be credited ? a/ 32500 c/ 50,000 b/ 40000 d/ 72,500 5/ Pavin and abdel share gains and losses in the ratio of 2:1 . After selling all assets for cash , dividing the losses on realization , and paying liabilities , the balances in the capital accounts were as follows : Pavin , 10000 Cr , abdel , 2000 Cr. How many of the cash of 12000 would be distributed to Pavin? a/ 2000 c/ 10000 b/ 8000 d/ 12000 chapter 13: 1/ which of the following is a disadvantage of the corporate form of organization? a/ limited liability b/ continuous life c/ owner is separate from management d/ ability to raise capital 2/ paid in capital for a corporation may araise from which of the following sources? a/ issuing preferred stock / issuing common stock c/ selling the corporation’s treasury stock d/ all of the above 3/ the stockholder’s equity section of the balance sheet may include : a/ common stock b/ stock dividends distributable c/ preferred stock d/ all of the above 4/ if a corporation reacquires its own stock , the stock is listed on the balance sheet in the : a/ current assets section b/ long term liabil ities section c/ stockholders’ equity section d/ investments section 5/ a corporation has issued 25000, shares of 100 par common stock and holds 3000 of these shares as treasury of stock . If the corporation declares a 2 per share cash dividend , what amount will be recorded as cash dividends? a/ 22000c/44000 b/ 25000d/ 50000 chapter 15: 1/ If a corpo. Plans to issue 1,000,000 of 12 % bonds of a time when the market rate for similar bonds is 10 % the bonds can be expected to sell at : a/ their face amount b/ a premium a discount d/ a price below their face amount 2/ if the bonds payable account has a balance of 900,000 and the discount on bonds payable account has a balance of 72000 , what is the carrying amount of the bonds? / 828,000 b/ 900,000 c/ 972,000 d/ 580,000 3/ the cash and securities that make up the sinking fund established for the payment of bonds at maturity are classified on the balance sheet as: a/ current assets b/ investments c/ long term liabilities d/ current liabilities 4/ if a firm purchase 150,000 of bonds of x company at 101 plus accrued interests of 2000 and pays brokers commissions of 50 , the amount debited to investment in x company bonds wo uld be : a/ 150,000 b/ 151,550 c/ 153,500 d/ 153,550 / the balance in the discount on bonds payable account would usually be reported in the balance sheet in the : a/ current assets section b/ current liabilities section c/ long term liabilities section d/ investments section chapter 16: 1/ an ex of a cash flow from an operating activity is : a/ receipt of cash from the sale of stock b/ receipt of cash from the sale of bonds c/ payment of cash for dividends d/ receipt of cash from customers on account 2/ an ex of a cash flow from an investing activity is : a/ receipt of cash from the sale of equipment / receipt of cash from the sale of stock c/ payment of cash for dividends d/ payment of cash to acquire treasury stock 3/ an ex of a cash flow from a financing activity is: a/ receipt of cash from customers on account b/ receipt of cash from the sale of equipment c/ payment of cash for dividends d/ payment of cash to acquire land 4/ which of the following methods of reporting cash flow s from operating activities adjust net income for revenues and expenses not involving the receipt or payment of cash? a/ direct method b/ purchase method c/ reciprocal method d/ indirect method / the net income reported on the income statements for the year was 55000 and depreciation of fixed assets for the year was 22000 . The balances of the current assets and current liability accounts at the beginning and end of the year are shown at the top of the following page? / 740 Chapter 17: 1/ what type of analysis is indicated by the following ? a/ vertical analysis b/ horizontal analysis c/ profitability analysis d/ contribution margin analysis 2/ which of the following measures indicates the ability of a firm to pay its current liabilities ? a/ working capital b/ current ratio c/ quick ratio / all of above 3/ the ratio determined by dividing total current assets by total current liabilities is: a/ current ratio b/ working capital ratio c/ bankers’ ratio d/ all of the above 4/ t he ratio of the quick assets to current liabilities , which indicates the â€Å" instant† debt paying ability of a firm , is the : a/ current ratio b/ working capital ratio c/ quick ratio d/ bankers’ ratio 5/ a measure useful in evaluating efficiency in the management of inventories is the: a/ working capital ratio b/ quick ratio c/ number of days’ sale in inventory d/ ratio of fixed assets to long term liabilities

Homicide Crime Scene Investigation Essay

Criminal Investigation Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On November 3, 2000, the dead body of a female was spotted along Old Annapolis road, Columbia. The body, which was later identified as that of Ashley Smith, was first spotted by two truck drivers, who immediately notified police officers. The first police officers arrived at the scene at 1051 hours, checked the victim, and concluded that she was dead. A crime scene perimeter was then established to allow for further investigations and collection of evidence before the body was moved. According to studies, the first action that police officers need to take once they reach a crime scene is to ensure that the scene is secured (Howell, 1999). This is usually in an effort to prevent any tampering of evidence, as well as to create room for further investigation. According to the case study, D/CPL Case was assigned the role of the primary investigator. Hence, it was his responsibility to ensure that all the persons responsible were brought to boo k. Crime scene investigators are persons in charge of the entire CSI operation. Apart from establishing identities of victims as well as suspects of a crime scene, it is also the responsibility of the CSI investigator to acquire witness testimonies, link suspects to crime scenes, and exonerate the innocent (Byrd, 2000). The case study intends to analyze the manner in which the homicide investigation was conducted in addition to lessons learned from it. Reflection on Case Study   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In my opinion, the homicide investigation was conducted in a fair manner. This is because all processes were followed sequentially and in the right manner — that is, in accordance with the crime scene investigation procedures. For instance, police officers swung into action the moment they received news about a body spotted along the Old Annapolis road. According to studies, the first action that police officers ought to take once they reach a crime scene is to set up a perimeter to prevent vital evidence from being tampered with. One of the reasons why the investigation was conducted smoothly was due to the proper organization of the police officers in charge. After receiving the report about a dead body that had been located, an investigation panel was established in which D/CPL Case was to act as the primary investigator. Through this organization, no conflicts were witnessed among the police officers since all of the officers we re aware of their roles in the investigation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Throughout the investigation, D/CPL Case was of great importance; this is because all his ideas were successful, and it was through him that the investigation was successful. For instance, during the early days of the investigation, progress was quite slow since all leads were hitting a dead end. D/CPL Case increased the pace of the investigation after he announced a reward of $8,000 to anybody who would come forward with information regarding the killing of Ashley Smith. By announcing an award, D/CPL Case knew that somebody withholding information regarding the homicide would eventually come out, which was true. Although the homicide was announced in the media, not all information was aired; instead, some vital information was withheld. For instance, the media did not mention the sections where the victim was stabbed or the number of wounds inflicted on the victim’s body. Apart from the stabbings, nothing was said about strangulati on of the victim. This was a good move by D/CPL Case since these omissions were used as traps during the interrogation process.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In my opinion, the interrogations were conducted in the right manner; this is because D/CPL Case ensured that he interrogated all the people whose names were mentioned during the interviews. In order to ensure that the interrogations went smoothly, D/CPL Case used a number of items. For instance, apart from photos and sketches of the crime scene, D/CPL Case also relied on forensic analysts, as well as pathologists, who aided in reconstructing the crime scene, hence, easing the interrogation operations. According to the case study, it is evident that D/CPL Case remained calm throughout the interrogation process since he was never in a hurry. For instance, whenever he was not satisfied with the information obtained during an interrogation, D/CPL Case would set up another interrogation with the same witness and attempt to acquire more information. It is through this tactic that D/CPL Case managed to acquire more information from Scott Jones. Although most of the interrogations were conducted in an appropriate manner, the same cannot be said when it comes to Fredrick Johnson. Although Scott admitted that he was with Johnson during the night of the murder, D/CPL Case interviewed Johnson only once before accusing him of first-degree murder. In my opinion, D/CPL Case was not just in the manner in which he interrogated Johnson. Although the case was solved successfully, the case study does not talk about what happened to the $8,000 award that had been advertised in the media. In my opinion, since nothing is mentioned about this award, the award was just a set-up that lured possible suspects to come forward. Crime Scene Investigation and Evidence Analysis   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Investigation of the homicide started on 11/3/00 when two truck drivers spotted the body and reported it to the police. After setting up a perimeter, thorough investigation of the crime scene commenced. Investigation at the crime scene was thorough since several professionals were present. For instance, apart from police officers, there were also photographers, forensic scientists, and pathologists. According to Assi (2010), the reason all investigation specialists need to be present is to replicate the crime scene before launching an investigation. For instance, whereas the role of police officers is to search the entire crime scene and take notes, photographing and sketching the crime scene is also of great importance. Taking photographs and sketching the scene makes it easy to review the crime scene in case something arises during the investigation (Howell, 1999). When taking photographs of a homicide investigation, several factors need to be considered. The face of the victim ought to be photographed for the purpose of identification when official investigations commence. Apart from the face, photographs should be taken of all wounds inflicted on the victim, all unusual marks appearing on the victim’s body, and the particularities of the victim’s clothing (Assi, 2010). In the case study, it is evident that crime scene investigators adhered to these requirements. This is because there are photographs depicting the victim’s face, all wounds inflicted on her, and the manner in which the victim was dressed. According to the photographs taken at the crime scene, it is evident that apart from being stabbed in the neck and abdominal area, the victim was also strangled.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   While still at the crime scene, a number of evidence materials were collected. For instance, apart from the two neoprene skullcaps located at the scene, the forensic scientists and crime scene technicians collected more evidence for further research in the lab. Other items collected included the victim’s blood sample, the victim’s clothes, and DNA swabbings from the victim’s ankles, mouth, vagina, and anus. After analyzing the evidence collected at the crime scene, the fact emerged that the victim had consumed alcohol prior to her death. Additionally, the victim had also engaged in a sexual activity moments before her death. This was discovered by the samples of sperms detected in her pants, vagina, and anus. According to the notes taken at the crime scene, the wounds inflicted on the victim were caused by knife stabbings. The murder weapon, which was later discovered by Richard Myers, was also forwarded to the laborat ory for further forensic investigation. After the media announcement, the investigators took note of two names, Scott Jones and Fredrick Johnson, which had been mentioned in three of the calls received. After setting up surveillance on the two primary suspects, investigators managed to get the suspects’ fingerprints from the cigarette butts they had discarded. These butts were used by the analysts to identify whether the two suspects had any links to the homicide. By the cigarette butts obtained, the investigators realized that the suspects’ DNA matched with the DNA acquired at the crime scene, as well as the murder weapon found. This critical information prompted police officers to apprehend the two suspects for further interrogations. Investigative Steps and Strategies   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   After successfully identifying the victim as Ashley Smith, the next step was to launch an investigation into the homicide, which would result in the arrest of the perpetrators. For the investigation to be successful, the investigating team used a number of steps and strategies. The first step was to get the full profile of the victim. Since she was still underage, her records were not available in the computer system; hence, it was D/CPL Case’s task to acquire this information from Mrs. Smith. After holding an interview with Mrs. Smith, D/CPL Case learned that, before her demise, Ashley had been a student at Grand Senior high school and had a female friend known as Heather Thomas. According to Mrs. Smith, Heather was the last person to see Ashley. Apart from Heather, Mrs. Smith also mentioned Jason Phelps, who had been Ashley’s boyfriend. The information marked the beginning of the investigation since more names were mentione d by Heather and Jason. Since most of the information acquired was not solid, the next step was to announce the homicide in the media and issue an award for anybody that would come forward with substantial information regarding the crime. According to the case study, this strategy was successful since more concrete evidence was obtained. Apart from the mentioning of names such as Scott and Johnson, this strategy also resulted in the identification of the murder weapon, which was a small knife. Richard Myers, the citizen who spotted the knife, presented the knife to a police officer after seeing the homicide report on television.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to Assi (2010), when an investigation is still in the process, some information needs to be confidential. D/CPL Case applied this strategy by not releasing all information about the homicide to the media. Apart from D/CPL Case and the investigating team present at the crime scene, nobody else was aware of the number of wounds inflicted on the victim. Apart from the number of wounds, the media were also not told about the choking. D/CPL Case received many calls, but one call that caught his attention was the one he received on 11/30/00. On this particular day, a female caller claimed that, before her demise, Ashley had been in the company of three men, one of whom was Fredrick Johnson. The caller went on to state that Ashley had been raped by the three men before being killed by Johnson in a move to prevent her from reporting the incident. What made this call unique from the rest was that the caller claimed Ashley had been stabbed in the head and neck. The caller further said that two of the suspects were scratched by the victim during the process. It was this information that prompted D/CPL Case to establish a surveillance on the two main suspects. Although the investigating officers had pictures of the suspects, they were unable to verify the suspects accurately. Hence, with the help of P.O. Gummo, a traffic police officer, they were able to verify that, indeed, the suspects under surveillance were Scott Jones and Fredrick Johnson. Interview of Witnesses and Interrogation of Suspects   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to Howell (1999), interviews and interrogations are part of the investigation process since more information is acquired during the process. Apart from interrogating witnesses, investigators also need interrogate all suspects whose names are mentioned. According to the case study, the first person to be interviewed was Mrs. Smith, the victim’s mother. Through this interview, it was noted that the victim had been fond of sneaking out of the house at night. Apart from sneaking out, the victim had also been in a number of love relationships, and her last boyfriend was known as Jason Phelps. During the interview, Mrs. Smith claimed that Ashley had had a close friend known as Heather Thomas. Apart from Mrs. Smith, D/CPL Case also interrogated Heather Thomas. During the interview, D/CPL Case noted that Heather was not telling the whole truth. D/CPL Case wished to apply a polygraph examination on Heather, but her parents were aga inst this idea. Hence, D/CPL Case only asked random questions, which Heather answered. D/CPL Case took the record of the interview to Det. Shelly Madison, who later claimed that out of the nine answers given by Heather Thomas, four were wrong. This was enough evidence to show that that Heather Thomas had not been truthful. It was not until the fourth interrogation that Heather Thomas confessed to knowing Fredrick Johnson. D/CPL Case also interrogated Scott Jones and Fredrick Johnson, who was the primary suspect of the homicide investigation. According to the case study, Scott was interrogated more thoroughly than Fredrick. This is because Fredrick requested an attorney. Hence, he was never questioned. At first, Scott denied taking part in the homicide. However, after numerous interrogations by D/CPL Case, Scott finally confessed to taking part in the killing. Constitutional Challenges   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   During the investigation, there were a number of motions aimed at suppressing some of the evidences. For instance, there was a motion filed to suppress the murder weapon located in the crime scene. The murder weapon, a knife, was brought in by Richard Myers, an American citizen. In my opinion, this item was legally obtained since it was brought in after an advertisement was placed in the media. Apart from the knife, another motion filed was that of illegal surveillance. According to studies, one is in violation of the fourth Amendment if he or she interferes with the privacy of a person by either watching or listening to the Person (Couenhoven, n.d). In my opinion, D/CPL Case and the investigation team went against the fourth amendment after they illegally placed surveillance on Scott and Fredrick. There was also a motion filed on some of the confessions made. It is against the fourth amendment for a witness to be interrogated for a long p eriod (NCIDS, 2002). Due to this, it is therefore evident that Scott was coerced to make confessions during the interrogation, hence, there is high chance that not all the information provided by the suspect was accurate. In my opinion, the information provided by Scott was not legally obtained. It is also against the law for enforcers to acquire information from witnesses and suspects without a warrant (Find Law, 2014). In the case study, D/CPL Case and the investigation team acquired the DNA of Scott and Fredrick after illegally acquiring the suspects’ cigarette butts that they had discarded without the suspects’ consent. Due to this, it is therefore evident that the law enforcers did not acquire the item legally. Lesson Learnt and the Applications   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The case study has been quite beneficial since through it, I have been able to comprehend most of the lessons I acquired in class concerning the investigation strategies and procedures of a homicide. First, a crime scene needs to be secured by the first police officers to arrive at the scene. In the case study, PFC. Malcolm was the first police officer to arrive at the scene. After confirming that the victim was dead, he established a perimeter around the crime scene. Secondly, after securing the crime scene, investigators need to take photographs of the scene as well as the victim. Apart from taking photographs, they also need to produce sketches of the entire scene. In the case study, apart from sketches, there are also photographs of the victim as well as the crime scene. These photos showed the wounds inflicted on the victim, the posture in which the victim was found, and the manner in which she was clothed when she was first identifie d. After taking photographs, investigators need to ensure that they collect all the evidence required. In the case study, apart from the victim’s blood samples, other evidence collected included her clothes as well as swabs from her mouth, vagina, and anus. Finally, crime scene investigators need to interview all witnesses as well as suspects whose names are mentioned. These interviews are of great importance to the investigation since they enable investigators in identifying the main suspects. In the case study, it was through numerous investigations that D/CPL Case and his investigating team were able to identify the main suspects of the homicide. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On 11/3/00, a female body was found in Columbia along the Old Annapolis road. The body was later identified as that of Ashley Smith. During the investigation, it was noted that the victim was not only stabbed, but was also choked. According to tests conducted in the laboratory, prior to her death, the victim had engaged in sexual activities. This was due to the detection of sperms in her pants, vagina, and anus. After collection of evidence, an investigation was launched to identify perpetrators of the homicide. Apart from the victim’s mother, interrogations were also conducted on Heather Thomas, Jason Phelps, Ronnie Emden, Scott Jones, Fredrick Johnson, Michael Stewart, and Janet Jones and Crystal Jones. It was through the interrogations that the investigation team was able to identify Scott and Johnson as the main perpetrators of the homicide. In my opinion, the information addressed in the case study has been quite beneficial. Th is is because, through the case study, I have been able to fully comprehend the information learned in the classroom. References Assi, H. (2010). Homicide Crime Scene Investigation. Retrieved on 10 December 2014 from www.justiceacademy.org/iShare/Library-Training/Homicide-Scene-Manual.pdf Byrd, M. (2000). â€Å"Duty Description for the Crime Scene Investigator.† Crime Scene Investigator Network. Retrieved on 9 December 2014 from http://www.crime-scene-investigator.net/dutydescription.html Couenhoven,P. (n.d). Suppressing Confessions: Involuntariness and Miranda. Retrieved on 12 December 2014 from www.sdap.org/downloads/research/criminal/confessions.pdf Find Law. (2014). The Fourth Amendment and the â€Å"Exclusionary Rule†. Retrieved on 12 December 2014 from http://criminal.findlaw.com/criminal-rights/the-fourth-amendment-and-the-exclusionary-rule.html Howell, J. (1999). Homicide Investigation Standard Operating Procedures. Retrieved on 9 December 2014 from www.policeforum.org/assets/docs/Free_Online_Documents/Homicide/homicide%20investigation%20standard%20operating%20procedures%201999.pdf NCIDS. (2002). Chapter 14: Suppression Motions. Retrieved on 12 December 2014 from www.ncids.org/Defender%20Training/Drug%20Case%20Training/Supp_Motions.pdf Source document

Ecotourism in China Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Ecotourism in China - Term Paper Example Some of the core areas where ecotourism intends to operate are: facilitating environmental sustainability and ecological conservation of different types of habitats that may exist in a certain geographical region. In addition to this, ecotourism pre-dominantly accentuates upon the social aspects and dimensions of tourism, rather than focusing on acquiring commercial and monetary gains only. Different agendas and programs, which are launched and initiated under the banner of ecotourism policies, intend to launch schemes and awareness programs. By the help of these programs, they can educate and inform people at a massive level. This education looks at different ways through which people can play a proactive role in bettering their very own environment. At the same time, it also urges them to make efforts through which sustainable development of environment is possible. Case of Yixian valley and Ecotourism in China The Yixian Valley is located about 450 km from Shanghai, in the south o f Anhui Province and close to Huangshan. It’s famous for "Yellow Mountains", landscapes and pleasant weather. This valley is a member of the global network of UNESCO Geoparks. By the end of 2004, benefiting from very high investments, the region implemented 290 projects in eight key programs. These programs were aimed at the development of ecotourism, organic farming, and preservation of scenic beauty, energy enhancement, water work industry, development planning and transport. The key selection criteria due to which Yixian has been selected, is the fact that it is one of those places in the country where some serious and high level efforts for the development of ecotourism have taken place in recent years. This place has also been a centre of ecotourism investment, even for... The paper describes some of the fundamental organizations which are playing a proactive part and role in ensuring the sustainability of ecotourism in China. An important company to mention in this context is Wild China. This company was founded in 2000 by entrepreneur Zhang Mei, a Chinese native of Yunnan Province, who was educated in the United States. The company decided to help the government of the province to develop its tourist economy while preserving the beauty of places and cultures. Since its founding, Wild China is naturally oriented towards ecotourism. It started by organizing custom tours for individual travelers and has always proposed routes outside areas traditionally popular with mass tourism. It deliberately started its operations in the western provinces, such as Qinghai and Gansu, where no one was operational in 2000. At that time, all agencies were facing east, the most developed region of China. From the very beginning, the company only worked with local guides, train and paying tourists. It was a revolution since many guides in China are poorly paid and are forced to pay commissions to stores from where they take groups. It also marketed on saving paper by printing brochures on recycled paper and refraining from using plastic in its operations. In places like Beijing, they tried to take tourists to areas less frequented and organized meals with the residents, as well as the traditional tai-chi workshops. Since then, that unique business proposition of Wild China has been copied! For them, the goal is not to "make China" but to meet Chinese people.

International Strategy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

International Strategy - Research Paper Example Literature review This is a vital section of this project but while conducting the literature review, care should be taken so that only the relevant information is discussed. This will keep the literature review section specific and to the point. While starting the literature review section, a well defined definition of international strategy will be discussed. For example, with time how the concept of international strategy got modified (Root & Visudtibhan, 1992, p.44). The research conducted by different scholars on multinational companies regarding international strategies used by them will be discussed (Frankenberger, 2006, p.2). In the literature review section, some vital international strategies used by the firms will be explored (Mcfarlin & Sweeney, 2008, p.266). Some of the common mode used by companies to enter in international market will also be discussed (Hitt, Ireland & Hoskisson, 2009, p.225). The information strategy regarding related as well as unrelated diversificat ion will be discussed with help of some vital case studies (Johnson, Scholes & Whittington, p.285-295). Research methodology Being a descriptive research, in this project secondary research will be conducted. Data will be collected from different authenticated sources. As for example, the company website, books from renowned authors, journals and online data base will be used. The research will be a mixed one where quantitative as well as qualitative data will be collected. The aim of this research is to collect information that explains the international strategy used by the fast food industry. As for example how the company decided to avoid beef and pork products in India as these products raised religious issues. Again,... This essay streeses that Being a descriptive research, in this project secondary research will be conducted. Data will be collected from different authenticated sources. As for example, the company website, books from renowned authors, journals and online data base will be used. The research will be a mixed one where quantitative as well as qualitative data will be collected. The aim of this research is to collect information that explains the international strategy used by the fast food industry. As for example how the company decided to avoid beef and pork products in India as these products raised religious issues. Again, considering the preference of rice products over wheat product in Japan, McDonald introduced rice burgers. These are some of the unique international strategies followed by McDonald to cater unique requirement of its highly diversified customer base. The business strategy used by McDonald will be compared against other commonly used international entry model. The advantages as well as disadvantages associated with McDonald’s international business model will be discussed. This report makes a conclusion this will be closing part of the research; hence almost whole of the project will be briefed in this section. The vital finding will also be discussed once again. Finally, considering the analysis and finding of the research, some recommendation will be suggested.

Their Eyes Were Watching God Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Their Eyes Were Watching God - Essay Example I must admit that it was a little hard for me to get used to the dialect used by the African characters, however one must praise the writer for the brilliance with which she is able to sway the tone and feel of the book from beautifully written English imagery and very apt descriptions of the plight and the emotions of the characters, to the crude and unstructured for of the African dialect and variant of the English language. Another interesting aspect of the book is that it is written as a flashback of Janie’s life as she reflects upon it to tell her story to her friend Pearl, since she needed consolation after the tough journey and experiences of her life. The book starts in a very interesting way with Janie’s return to her second husband’s town, which she had left after his death to get married to a boy younger than her, popularly known in the town as â€Å"Tea Cake.† Hurston has very skillfully depicted the insatiable curiosity that is inherent in hum an nature, this she managed to convey through the conversations that passed between people of the neighborhood on Janie’s return and how they were gossiping about what might have happened which made her return to her Ex- husband’s town and that too penniless, when she left the town wealthy.

Sickle cell anaemia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Sickle cell anaemia - Essay Example rised by the presence of an atypical haemoglobin type S which is rigid, fragile and crescent-like cells that easily die off making a person record low red blood cells count. The disease is inherited by children from their parents and sufferers usually experience anaemia in which the red blood cells are in low count since they (sickle cells) die within a period of about 3 weeks unlike the normal red blood cells that die after 4 months. This leaves the body with low energy and constant tiredness owing to lack of oxygen for respiration. Episodic pains are as well experienced owing to the barricade they cause along the blood vessels (Steinberg, 2009:83). Sickle cell anaemia is considered is a blood cell disorder passed from parent to child. The disorder comes when there are inflexible and hemispherical blood cells that are atypical as compared to the standard and regular red blood cells that are usually supple (Mehta, 2009:33). These abnormal cells (haemoglobin S) do not enable free flow of oxygen to the entire body as it should be for energy generation as they get wedged and jammed along the blood vessel thereby blocking the ‘blood highway’. This blockage account for the pain that patients suffering encounter and the lack of oxygen supply brings about serious fatigue. It is regarded as another type of anaemia disorder in which cells necessary for carrying oxygen are lacking or few in number. The disease is inherited in an ‘autosomal recessive inheritance’ pattern in which both parents have to transmit the genetic material to the baby for the child to suffer otherwise if its only one parent then the child w ill be a carrier and not manifest the symptoms. Since sickle cell anaemia is a blood disorder, it is diagnosed through testing the blood for individuals who have already been born although it is possible to detect the disorder even in unborn babies in which fluid in the amniotic tissue is tested to check for the presence of Haemoglobin S which is the

International Strategy of B&Q Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

International Strategy of B&Q - Assignment Example B&Q is the number one DIY retailer in Europe and the third largest in the world, with more than 60 stores opened internationally, including B&Q Beijing, which is now the largest B&Q store in the world. Based on literature a firm has to make two initial decisions for facing internationalization process, i.e. equity and non-equity entry modes (See figure 1). Entry mode is an institutional arrangement that makes possible the entry of firm's products, technology, human skills, management or other resources into a foreign country (Root 1994). On this level, the key issues when making a decision on entry modes are those that refer to the macro-level factors of the target country, such as country-risk, cultural differences or potential for growth (Pan and Tse, 2000). The influence of these factors on the choice of entry mode will show up in the commitment of resources that the firm is willing to undertake in the international market and the strategic flexibility they wish to maintain in order to face up to unforeseen changes in the environment (Pan and Tse, 2000). On the second level of analysis, managers would do well to evaluate the different modes of entry, taking into consideration the degree of control they wish to exercise over international activities. The factors that should be analyzed at this level are related to micro-level characteristics such as those that determine the risk of dissemination or improper appropriation of assets and the firm's strategy. Both factors will determine the degree of control the firm should exercise on international operations in order to maintain its competitive advantage and favour coordination between units that are geographically widespread (Harzing, 2002; Pan and Tse, 2000). Figure 1: Two-level model of analysis for the choice of entry modesSource: Pan and Tse (2000) In the specific case of B&Q, its process of internationalization is clearly dominated by the equity entry modes (degree of control) such as Greenfield, mergers and acquisitions. We have to understand acquisition as the purchase of a stock in an already existing company in an amount sufficient to confirm control. A firm can acquire a foreign company for many of several reasons: product diversification, the acquisition of specific assets, the sourcing of raw materials, or other products for sale outside the host country or financial diversification (Root 1994). A Greenfield investment is a start up investment in new facilities. Such an investment can be wholly owned or a joined venture. The first ownership is a 100% in this alternative. It is usually complex, needs negotiations and takes a lot of time (Hitt et al. 2003). Merger is the process when two or more company joint to become one entity through a purchase acquisition or a pulling of interests (See Table 1). B&Q

Innovation and Sustainability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Innovation and Sustainability - Essay Example This activity involves cutting, burning and bulldozing trees down to clear land or gain access to more land. It harms the earth when the carbon monoxide seeps into the soil and floats off into the atmosphere. The consumption point of this process is having land cleared to build an industry or commercial business. It allows humans to produce products and consume currency. Industrialization is also a major human production habit. It involves processing of raw material, could be natural resources from the earth, into finished products. Agriculture supports industrialization in the food sector and food systems sustenance (Likens, Driscoll & Buso 1996, p.120). This particular production habit has been greatly influenced by the technological changes and the scarce resources. These two factors have resulted to a lot of innovation and high utilization of the available resource. Consumption is the direct utilization of material resources. Transportation is one way that humans consume. The number of vehicles has increased gradually and the fuel we use to run them is very harmful to the atmosphere. In this way we consume the efficiency of mobility by producing vehicles to ferry us to our destinations. In the larger picture production is also a part of consumption especially in transportation since in the process of production materials have to be moved from one site to another. The concept of sustainable consumption and production is comprehensive and takes a holistic approach to the systems of production and consumption. Humans have to seek ways to ultimately reverse or reduce the negative social and ecological impacts. This calls for a means of aligning economic systems to meet the needs of current and future generations within the ecological carrying capacity of the Earth. Policy instruments and tools that affect change and shift in production and consumption patterns are efforts that need to be considered in sustenance of the global population.

Louise Essay Example for Free

Louise Essay The story is entitled by a woman’s name, therefore it gives a foreshadowing that the story will be about a woman or a girl named Louise. The first sentence begins with the personal pronoun I, which means that the story is written in the first person. Thus, taking into consideration that the author is a man, even before the reading, it is possible to suppose that the story will be about a woman who has left a great impression about herself. Usually it is a good impression even if it is about a one-way love. That’s why from the very beginning the story has surprised me much, because it begins with the sentences: â€Å"I could never understand why Louise bothered with me. She disliked me and I knew that behind my back she seldom lost the opportunity of saying a disagreeable thing about me.† Such statement (she disliked me) is a challenge for a curious reader and makes him read up to the end and find the reasons. Having read the story â€Å"Louise† I can say that the main theme of it is the relationships between people. The problem which the author raises is that some people can play on their neighbours’ feelings very easily. They use any possibility to do it. In case of the main character, Louise, it is her mystic heart disease. She could convince everybody, including herself, in its existence and there have not been any attempts to argue, before the narrator has done it. He tells the story in an ironic way, but at first it is a hidden irony. He does not comment on the events, he just presents them. For example, while Louise’s first husband Tom Maitland wants the narrator to believe in her bad condition and for that oxymoron â€Å"she’s dreadfully delicate† and metaphor â€Å"her life hangs on a thread† are used, the narrator brings the proofs of an absolutely different state of things, using the antithesis in parallel constructions: â€Å"I had noticed that if a party was amusing she could dance till five in the morning, but if it was dull she felt very poorly and Tom had to take her home early.† In such way, without any remark, just using antithesis in order to show how Louise’s words contradict her actions, the author shows the irony of the situation: Of course it will kill me, she said – It didnt kill her.† â€Å"Her friends asked her why she did not marry again. Oh, with her  heart it was out of the question, she answered – A year after Toms death, howe ver, she allowed George Hobhouse to lead her to the altar.† The uttered represented speech shows the way of Louise’s usual behavior and produces the necessary effect on the reader. And even that fact that she always repeated to her husbands that she wouldn’t live long and the fact that she â€Å"outlived† both of them produces an ironic effect. I think, it is possible to say that all Louise’s life is one big antithesis, because she has lived more than forty years softly making other people do what she wants but constantly repeating â€Å"I hate the thought of anyone sacrificing themselves for me.† All people who surrounded her describe her with such epithets: â€Å"a frail, delicate girl with large and melancholy eyes†, â€Å"dreadfully delicate†, â€Å"the most gentle wife† and no one has ever thought that it was just a mask. Only the narrator has mentioned the possibility of its existence: â€Å"Perhaps she knew that I alone saw her face behind the mask and she hoped that sooner or later I too should take the mask for the face.† And only at the end of the story he reveals his true attitude to her. He expresses his irony about her behavior openly and says: â€Å"I think youve carried out a bluff for twenty-five years. I think youre the most selfish and monstrous woman I have ever known. You ruined the lives of those two unhappy men you married and now youre going to ruin the life of your daughter.† Again the antithesis is used. Firstly the narrator himself describes her as â€Å"a frail, delicate girl with large and melancholy eyes† a nd then from his own words she appears to be â€Å"a selfish and monstrous† and even â€Å"a devilish woman†. Only now it is possible to answer why â€Å"Louise bothered† with the narrator. Only he has seen her real face. The plot structure of the story â€Å"Louise† is as following: 1. There is no exposition. The development of the action begins from the first sentence: â€Å"I could never understand why Louise bothered with me†. 2. The rising action is almost the whole story 3. The climax is in the last dialogue between the narrator and Louise. 4. The falling action is a wedding of Louise’s daughter 5. The denouement is Louise’s death.  The elements of plot are ordered chronologically. The line of narration is straight. There are two main characters: Louise and the narrator himself, where Louise is an antagonist and the narrator is a protagonist. There are  also some flat characters such as Tom Maitland, the first husband of Louse; George Hobhouse, her second husband, and her daughter Iris. Making a conclusion, I want to say that this is a true to life story, which can happen anywhere (the author does not even point to a place where the actions have been developing). To my mind, he decided to write this story because Louise really had impressed him much. It seems to me that in some cases he even admires the ability of this woman to make everything in a way she wants it to be done. It produces such effect that she dies at the day of her daughter’s wedding only because she wants to show that she is really ill and has had right that her daughter’s wedding will kill her. I think it is very topical nowadays, because a lot of people wear their masks in order not to show their real faces and intentions.

Comparison of Impressionist Artists | Essay

Comparison of Impressionist Artists | Essay Impressionism began in France in the mid 1800s. The Impressionists were not very popular because they had a different approach to painting. At this time, many artists painted in a very traditional way that involved spending hours in a studio, painstakingly creating detailed paintings. These paintings were sometimes of people, landscapes, or historical events. The Impressionists however often painted out of doors and wanted to show the immediate effect of light and colour at particular times of the day. Their works are sometimes described as captured moments and are characterized by short quick brushstrokes of colour which, when viewed up close looks quite messy and unreal. If you step back from an Impressionist painting, however, the colours are blended together by our eyes, and we you able to see the painters subject which often showed colourful landscapes, sunlight on water as well as people engaged in outdoor activities and enjoyment. Paintings by Impressionist artists have become some of the most popular artworks of all time. This is probably because their subjects were usually pleasing and uncomplicated. For the purpose of this essay, I shall compare and contrast three artists who have been inspired by and whose works are based on the natural environment. The first artist I looked at was George Leslie Hunter (7 August 1877 6 December 1931) he was born in Rothesay on the Isle of Bute. His family emigrated to California when he was 13. His early work was destroyed in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, and he returned to Scotland shortly afterwards, living in Glasgow. He held his first one-man exhibition at the Reid Gallery in Glasgow in 1916. During the 1920s, he became part of a group of artists who came to be known as the Scottish Colourists. All were influenced, by the purity, bright colour and brushwork technique of the French Impressionists, Hunter is best known for scenes painted in Fife and in the South of France. He died in Glasgow in 1931. He belonged to the Impressionism movement. In 1930 Hunter painted Reflections, Balloch, it was painted in oils. The work is quite bright and representative of the subject, it looks rather like a photo or postcard. The painting is light and colourful, with a lot of detail; the boats are well painted and there is definitely a lot more detail gone into painting the water and that does show in the painting with the reflection seeming far more important. It has a light feel to it. The trees frame the houses and add depth to the painting. He painted the water in a very rich way so it looks shiny and reflective but deep and cold at the same time. The composition of the painting is very orderly with the background mostly taken up by the houses and trees, the middle ground a strong presence of the boats and the foreground is filled by the water, with the reflections of the boats and trees shimmering on the top of the glistening water. The colours are mostly primary with white being prominent as it is used to describe the light reflecting on the surface of the water. There is a distinct line between the land and water, the riverbank and boats being a strong divide. There is a patchwork feel to the colours, which shows in the texture of the brushstrokes. There is an older style feel to the subjects, as the houses and boats are period, but the painting could have been painted today as it has freshness. The water appears to be thinning towards the edge of the painting as Hunter is trying to show the light reflecting, but the strong presence of the boats and houses make me feel that these were his main aim, yet I feel not as much at tention was given to the painting of them, the buildings and boats do not include such fine detail. The trees are very detailed and have a strong presence. The second artist to look at was Claude Monet (1840 1926) he was born in Paris, but raised on the Normandy coast. He began his art career as a caricaturist. In 1858, painter, Eugene Boudin, introduced Monet to landscape. In 1873, Monet set up a floating studio on the Seine and began to paint landscapes in the Impressionist style. Monets family lived in LeHavre near the sea in Northern France where he spent a lot of time painting out-of-doors scenes. About 1890, he began to paint pictures in series, showing the same subject under various conditions of light and atmosphere. He bought a house at Giverney and for approx 40 yrs; he worked on pictures of his water garden. Claude Monets work Sunset on the Seine, winter 1880 which was painted in oils, is a delicate painting that is full of colour, the light seems to be the artists main focus as the main part of the painting seems to be the reflections, It seems to be painted with just a couple of colours that vary in depth. The sky also has a vibrant orange and red glow to it making it look like it is a scene from an Australian bush fire more than a sunset on the river Seine. There is not much of a difference between the sky and the water it can only be distinguished by the ripples and small waves painted on the water top.There are some bushes seen either side of the picture, they lead your eyes into the painting and you can see fishermen on boats in minute detail. The colours are one of the strengths of this painting, heightened by the texture of the paint, which is rough like sandpaper. The two bushes either side of the painting are in the foreground, with the boats in the middle, and a vague outline of the shore in the background. There are hidden in the sunset some more mottled tones that appear to be trees and bushes in the distance. The main subject of the painting is the sunset and its reflection on the water. My final artist to research was Winslow Homer an American artist, 1836-1910 he was a realist painter, and painted confrontations between humans and nature. Homer was an illustrator for magazines such as Harpers Weekly. During the Civil War, he visited the front as an illustrator and documented military camp life. After the war he studied painting in New York and Paris. In the 1870s and 1880s, Homer started painting rural scenes and worked in both oil and watercolour. He travelled a lot and painted in Canada, Bermuda, Florida, and the Caribbean. Winslow Homer painted Deer Drinking in 1892, It was in watercolours. It is a painting of a Deer drinking from a stream, the deer is looking at its reflection and is laying across a tree, the reflection is so good that it is hard to see which is real, the deer or the reflection It sort of looks like in this painting the deer is kissing itself through the water or it is like two deer stuck together, one on land one under the water. It has a much darker background with the forest behind, but the light and water is where you want to look mostly. The colours used are very earthy, giving you a great sense of the forest. The body of the deer is captured with the lighter colours giving you a sense of sunshine landing on it. The texture of the water is captured by his heavy brushwork, with a lot of movement seen in the use of white implying light, as it makes you feel the water is moving with the deers drinking. The deer in the foreground of the painting takes up most of the canvas, the log h e rests on leads your eye towards the forest in the background. Conclusion I think the three paintings are very different, each one looking at a different part of the natural environment, Hunters painting Reflections, Balloch is showing a modern picture of houses and boats, man living and doing things in the environment. Claude Monets work Sunset on the Seine, winter 1880 seems more as if he is trying to capture something from the past, memories of life that was, it has an atmosphere that is moody, warm, reflective, of an environment that had gone. Winslow Homers painting Deer Drinking seemed far more real, a lot more natural for an interpretation of the natural environment it also seemed a lot more creative and far more easier and nicer to look at. My personal opinion of the first painting by George Leslie Hunter is that it is a really pretty rural scene of a river boat going along a very reflective well painted river. The reflections in the river are very good especially of the trees overall, I like this painting a lot. The painting Sunset on the Seine by Claude Monet this is also a water scene but the sky stands out far more then the water for me. In this painting, I really like the warm glow. Its marvellous rich fiery colours are a feast for the eye and great to look at overall. I also really liked this painting. The third painting Deer Drinking by Homer Winslow has amazing detail and beautiful range and tone of colours making it look more like a photograph instead of a painting and for this I also really like this painting. Although I think, the three paintings are very different, all these artists were interested in capturing nature in the moment, and did by bringing painting traditionally an indoor activity outdoors where they could observe their subject directly. By using various methods used in impressionists style, loose brushwork and suggestive lines, opposing colours and tonal values, sometimes a suggestion of form as opposed to an illustrated approach, they have all captured a moment, that might have gone unnoticed, for the viewer to enjoy for many years to come. Sources http://www.suite101.com/content/art-lesson-plan-on-how-to-paint-like-the-impressionists-a307383 http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/hunter_george_leslie.html http://www.richard-green.com/Hunter-George-Leslie-DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=45HYPERLINK http://www.richard-green.com/Hunter-George-Leslie-DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=45tabindex=44artistid=918HYPERLINK http://www.richard-green.com/Hunter-George-Leslie-DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=45tabindex=44artistid=918tabindex=44HYPERLINK http://www.richard-green.com/Hunter-George-Leslie-DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=45tabindex=44artistid=918HYPERLINK http://www.richard-green.com/Hunter-George-Leslie-DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=45tabindex=44artistid=918artistid=918 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impressionism http://giverny.org/monet/welcome.htm http://www.artic.edu/artexplorer/search.php?tab=2HYPERLINK http://www.artic.edu/artexplorer/search.php?tab=2resource=480HYPERLINK http://www.artic.edu/artexplorer/search.php?tab=2resource=480resource=480

Exit Voice Loyalty Neglect Model

Exit Voice Loyalty Neglect Model The Exit-Voice-Loyalty-Neglect (EVLN) analyses the consequences of job dissatisfaction, and postulates that employees will respond to job dissatisfaction in one of four ways: by exiting, by speaking out about it, through loyalty, or through job neglect (Withey Cooper 1989, 521). The model is premised upon the principle that job dissatisfaction affects individual behaviour, and has effects on the employee both intrinsically and extrinsically (Leck Saunders 2005, 219). It suggests that the consequences of job dissatisfaction can be predicted, and can be harmful to both the individual and the organisation (Naus 2007, 684). This essay will analyse the EVLN model and will reflect on its application in light of a personal work experience. It will then provide practical recommendations as to how managers can avoid the negative consequences of job dissatisfaction and in particular, the negative behaviours contemplated by the EVLN model. The EVLN model, first devised by Hirschman in 1970 and expanded upon by Rusbult, Zembrodt and Gunn in 1982 and Farrell in 1983, suggests that depending on the person and the situation, employees will respond to job dissatisfaction in any one (or a combination) of four ways, which as the name suggests, includes exit, voice, loyalty or neglect (Withey Gellarly 1998, 111). In this model, exit refers to resigning from the organisation, transferring to another work unit or office, or at the very least, attempting to make the exit (McShane 2006, 117). Voice refers to an attempt to change, rather than escape from, the situation. Voice may be constructive, particularly where employees voice their dissatisfaction and recommend ways their satisfaction levels can be improved (Luchak 2003, 116). Conversely, it can be destructive where employees begin venting to fellow employees, thereby spreading negative energy within the workplace (Turnley Feldman 1999, 897). Loyalty refers to employees who respond to job dissatisfaction by complacency, most typically by patiently waiting for the problem to resolve itself. These types of employees tend to suffer silently in anticipation of their work situation improving (McShane 2006, 118). Neglect, which broadly refers to neglecting ones work responsibilities, is perhaps the most destructive of responses to job dissatisfaction, as it involves decreasing productivity, decreased attention to quality, and increasing absenteeism and lateness (Hagedoorn 1999, 310). The responses can be independent or sequential, meaning that an employee may transition through a series of responses (Farrell Rusbult 1992, 203). For example, a dissatisfied employee may go through a period of neglect, before deciding to quit their job (Humphrey 2000, 714). Once they announce their resignation, they may speak out to their fellow employees and leave with a noisy exit (Withey Cooper 1989, 522). Loyalty and voice can be constructive where they are used to try to maintain satisfactory relationships, though they can be destructive in certain circumstances (Si, Wei Li 2008, 935). Neglect and exit are generally destructive as they occur once employees have decided that the relationship with the organisation is not worth maintaining (Si, Wei Li 2008, 936). Which response a given employee will take will generally depend upon the individual and their circumstances (McShane 2006, 117). A generally determinative factor is the availability of alternative employment. For example, where an employee has a great deal of financial freedom, they may choose to leave an aversive situation (Lee Mitchell 1994, 62). This is far less likely when they are facing financial pressures and have low employment prospects (Hagedoorn 1999, 312). Instead, they may temporarily use the neglect option until a job opportunity comes by (McShane 2006, 119). Employees who have worked at an organisation for a lengthy period of time, and who can identify with that organisation, will generally use the voice option and speak out about their dissatisfaction (McShane 2006, 118; Withey Coopers 1989, 522). This is also the case where employees cannot easily resign or transfer, or decrease their productivity without the fear of retribution (Rusbult et al. 1988, 619). Finally, where an employee feels as though they have overinvested in an organisation, they may engage in lazy or neglectful behaviours and decrease their organisational citizenship behaviour (Farrell 1983, 601). Personal Reflection In a previous workplace, I experienced serious job dissatisfaction which was followed by a series of behavioural changes. The organisation I was working for had lost a number of major clients, and had faced serious staff turnover issues, and as a result was experiencing significant financial distress. My manager had become extremely stressed and was struggling to remain calm. He would take his stress out on me on a constant basis, and his behaviour became increasingly destructive. He had a very short temper and would often shout and yell abusive words. His performance expectations of me increased unrealistically, and he began to criticise the smallest of deviations from the norm. He would confront me (and others) publically, in a way that was both demeaning and humiliating. This was followed by a pay cut of over twenty-five percent, which I felt was inequitable and unjustified. I became extremely dissatisfied and de-motivated, and whilst I would usually opt to speak out about my conc erns, I had no option to do so as my manager was self-righteous and was not interested in receiving constructive criticism or complaints. Somewhat subconsciously, I became extremely unmotivated and the energy that I put into performing my work had significantly decreased. I expressed neglectful behaviour, as my output levels had decreased, as had the general quality of my work (Farrell Rusbult 1992, 207). Furthermore, I began to speak about my problems to fellow employees, but would not confront my manager about the issues. Consistent with studies on counterproductive voice behaviour, this was a form of me using my voice in a highly destructive way (Withey Coopers 1989, 530). In line with studies on negative loyalty behaviours and the exiting response, I did not leave my job immediately as I could not find another job immediately (and I wanted have a given number of months experience on my resume), however I resigned as soon as another job became available (Rusbult et al 1998, 600 ). In hindsight, my dissatisfied work experience had a negative effect on me individually, my co-workers and on the organisation as a whole. Recommendations It is clear that employee responses to job dissatisfaction have direct implications on organisational productivity and effectiveness (Leck Saunders 2005, 219). Constructive responses such as trying to improve working conditions, improving job satisfaction and improving management approaches value-add to an organisation as they aid in decreasing job dissatisfaction on the organisational level (McShane 2006, 120; Naus 2007, 689). In contrast, destructive approaches such as resigning, absenteeism, decreased productivity, decreased quality control or psychological withdrawal can adversely affect the individual, their fellow workers, the quality of output material, and the organisation as a whole (Naus 2007, 690; Farrell Rusbult 1992, 215). Understanding employee behaviour is an all-important task for managers as it can allow them to curb those behaviours that are disruptive to the individual and the organisation, and promote constructive behaviours (Leck Saunders 2005, 221). To decrease the negative effects of job dissatisfaction, managers should be mindful of behaviours contemplated by the EVLN model and should identify them as indicators of job dissatisfaction (Humphrey 2000, 720). As the EVLN model is a typology of consequential behaviour, managers should remedy the behaviour by looking to the actual cause (McShane 2006, 121). Thus, managers should use the behaviour as an indicator of job dissatisfaction, and should immediately act upon it once identified (Si, Wei Li 2008, 940). There are a number of ways in which managers can attempt to re-instil job satisfaction in a dissatisfied employee. Research suggests that employees will be less likely to engage in destructive behaviours such as neglect, exit or negative voice when there is a possibility of improvement, a feeling of autonomy or control over the situation, foreseeable happiness, and a sense of belonging to the workplace (Withey Cooper 1989, 523; Rusbult et al. 1988, 625). Managers should focu s on these characteristics so that they promote constructive behaviour and decrease the stressors causing employees to engage in destructive behaviours. Secondly, and vitally importantly, managers should ensure that there is open communication between employees and management, so that more constructive behaviours such as using ones voice are actually an option (Naus 2007, 700). Had my former manager been more approachable and open to my feedback, I could have resolved my problems by expressing my concerns and having them dealt with. Instead, I was afraid to confront my manager, and resorted to being underproductive and speaking out to my fellow employees, therefore spreading negative energy in the workplace. This may have led to job dissatisfaction and similar consequences for other employees (McShane 2006, 123). Based on my own research and experience, I would recommend that managers be more approachable so that dissatisfied employees can opt for constructive behaviours before resorting to destructive behaviours. Conclusion The EVLN model is an important framework used to describe employee responses to job dissatisfaction. It contemplates that employees will respond to job dissatisfaction in varying ways according to their personality and their situations, and in general will respond through fight, flight, complacency or de-motivation. The framework is useful as it allows managers to identify behaviours that indicate employee job dissatisfaction, which in turn allows them address underlying stressors and concerns. In light of research and personal work experiences, it is recommended that managers be mindful of these behaviours so that they are markers of job dissatisfaction, and keep lines of communication open so that job dissatisfaction issues can be addressed constructively. References Farrell, D. 1983. Exit, voice, loyalty and neglect as responses to job dissatisfaction: a multidimensional scaling study. Academy of Management Journal 26 (4): 596-607. http://www.jstor.org.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/stable/255909 (accessed December 2, 2009). Farrell, D. and C.E. Rusbult. 1992. Exploring the Exit, Voice, Loyalty and Neglect Typology: The Influence of Job Satisfaction, Quality of Alternatives and Investment Size. Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal 5 (1): 201-218. http://www.springerlink.com.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/content/gp4647hl1644p8k2/ (accessed December 1, 2009). Hagedoorn, M. 1999. Employees reactions to problematic events: a circumplex structure of five categories of responses, and the role of job satisfaction. Journal of Organisational Behaviour 20 (3): 309-321. http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/120698377/issue?CRETRY=1SRETRY=0 (accessed December 1, 2009). Humphrey, R.H. 2000. Buyer-supplier alliances in the automobile industry: how exit-voice strategies influence interpersonal relationships. Journal of Organisational Behaviour 21(6): 713-730. http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/72513917/issue (accessed December 4, 2009). Leck, J.D and D.M. Saunders. 2005. Hirschmans loyalty: attitude or behaviour? Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal 5 (3): 219-230. http://www.springerlink.com/content/k18t27678h637534/ (accessed December 3, 2009). Lee, P.W. T.W. Mitchell. 1994. An alternative approach: the unfolding model of voluntary turnover. Academy of Management Review 19 (1): 51-89. http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/ehost/detail?vid=1hid=6sid=c0a52e8f-6eec-40a4-bdf3-7e0fc6ddf452%40sessionmgr13bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=psyhAN=1993-97785-002 (accessed December 2, 2009). Luchak, A.A. 2003. What kind of voice do loyal employees use? British Journal of Industrial Relations 41 (1): 115-134. http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/118865370/issue (accessed December 3, 2009). McShane, S.L. 2006. Organisational Behaviour on the Pacific Rim, 2nd ed, Sydney: McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Naus, F. 2007. Organisational cynicism: Extending the exit, voice, loyalty and neglect model of employees responses to adverse conditions in the workplace. Human Relations, 60 (5): 683-718. http://apps.isiknowledge.com.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/InboundService.do?product=WOSaction=retrieveSrcApp=360UT=000247621700001SID=R2h3pp%40G%40nI%403ChJJ7jSrcAuth=SerialsSolutionsmode=FullRecordcustomersID=SerialsSolutionsDestFail=http%3A%2F%2Faccess.isiproducts.com%2Fcustom_images%2Fwok_failed_auth.html (accessed December 2, 2009). Rusbult, C.E., D. Farrell, G. Rogers and A.G. Mainous. 1988. Impact of exchange variables on exit, voice, loyalty and neglect: an integrative model of responses to declining job satisfaction. Academy of Management Journal 31 (1): 599-627. http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/ehost/detail?vid=1hid=6sid=c0a52e8f-6eec-40a4-bdf3-7e0fc6ddf452%40sessionmgr13bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=psyhAN=1993-97785-002 (accessed December 1, 2009). Si, S.X., F. Wei and Y. Li. 2008. The effect of organizational psychological contract violation on managers exit, voice, loyalty and neglect in the Chinese context. International Journal of Human Resource Management 19 (5): 932-944. http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/ehost/detail?vid=1hid=111sid=842211a4-71fd-4fd2-bb8c-f78afcf2d447%40sessionmgr112bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=psyhAN=2008-06433-007 (accessed December 1, 2009). Turnley, W.H. and D.C. Feldman. 1999. The Impact of Psychological Contract Violation on Exit, Voice, Loyalty and Neglect. Human Relations 52 (1): 895-922. http://www.springerlink.com.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/content/nv179t5777237571/ (accessed December 4, 2009). Withey, M.J. and W.H. Coopers. 1989. Predicting Exit, Voice, Loyalty and Neglect. Administrative Science Quarterly 34 (1): 521-539. http://www.jstor.org.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/stable/2393565?cookieSet=1 (accessed November 30, 2009). Withey, M.J. and I.R. Gellarly. 1998. Situational and Dispositional Determinations of Exit, Voice, Loyalty and Neglect. Proceedings of the Administrative Sciences Association of Canada 13 (4): 110-119. http://www.jstor.org.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/stable/256461 (accessed December 3, 2009).

The Reconstruction Period :: after the Civil War, 1865 - 1877

The period after the Civil War, 1865 - 1877, was called the Reconstruction period. Abraham Lincoln started planning for the reconstruction of the South during the Civil War as Union soldiers occupied huge areas of the South. He wanted to bring the Nation back together as quickly as possible and in December 1863 he offered his plan for Reconstruction which required that the States new constitutions prohibit slavery. In January 1865, Congress proposed an amendment to the Constitution which would abolish slavery in the United States. On December 18, 1865, Congress ratified the Thirteenth Amendment formally abolishing slavery. The Civil War ended on April 9, 1865. Abraham Lincoln was assassinated less than one week later. Andrew Johnson, Lincoln's Vice President, briefly continued Lincoln's policies after Lincoln's assassination and in May 1865 announced his own plans for Reconstruction which included a vow of loyalty to the Nation and the abolition of slavery that Southern states were required to take before they could be readmitted to the Nation. Black codes were adopted by midwestern states to regulate or inhibit the migration of free African-Americans to the midwest. Cruel and severe black code laws were adopted by southern states after the Civil War to control or reimpose the old social structure. Southern legislatures passed laws that restricted the civil rights of the emancipated former slaves. Mississippi was the first state to institute laws that abolished the full civil rights of African-Americans. "An Act to Confer Civil Rights on Freedmen, and for Other Purposes," a very misleading title, was passed in 1865. Other states quickly adopted their own versions of the codes, some of which were so restrictive that they resembled the old system of slavery such as forced labor for various offenses. The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands (or the Freedmen's Bureau) was organized to provide relief and assistance to the former slaves, including health services, educational services, and abandoned land services. Congress passed an act on March 3, 1865 to establish the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands. The program was administered by the Department of War and was first headed by General Oliver Otis Howard who was appointed to the position on May 13, 1865 by President Abraham Lincoln. Although Congress responded with legislation that led to the Civil Rights Act of 1866, States kept on the books laws that continued the legacy of the black codes and, therefore, second-class citizenship for the newly freed slaves.

The Executive Summary of the Business Plan :: Business Plans Financial Statements Essays

The Executive Summary of the Business Plan The executive summary is the most important part of the business plan. Many people will only read this. The summary in itself will not secure an investor, however, it can loose them. Quality - the quality of the summary must therefore be outstanding and you should pay particular attention to it. Obtain critical feedback from others on your drafts. Stand-alone - it is also used as a stand-alone document when introducing the project to others so it must be able to capture interest and entice the reader to take the next step and request more information - and secure a meeting. Style – cogent and terse. It should be direct and organized as a series of bulleted paragraphs, each deals with one key area. No waffle. Length - ideally one page, and certainly not more than two pages. Content - it needs to:  Introduce the project in terms of what area it is concerned with, what it is trying to do, and list the key individuals and advisors involved  Describe the stage the project reached particularly in terms of the "readiness for market" of its products, or product concepts, and outline any intellectual property, such as patents, that may support the products  Highlight the main market characteristics, including size and growth, and specify the market opportunity that you are addressing  State the central competitive advantages of your products and/or processes, how distinct they are from the competition and in what way, and how these are important to customers  Summarize the objectives of the company in the short and long term, and quantify these with specific numbers. Outline the key strategies you will use to achieve them  Include any "evidence of success" - this may be trade reviews, analyst comments, sales or partnership agreements, working prototypes, market testing, etc. which help to make the project more tangible to the reader and raises confidence in the project  Highlight any other key issues that should be noted  State your finance requirements and what stake in the company is available for this (see Financial Structure), and the planned exit strategy for the investor - i.e. how the investor will realize their return from the project. For more on this click Financing Structure. Example Text:  XYZ Company Limited is an Expert Design Consultancy focusing on Packaging Design Solutions for â€Å"Fast Moving Consumer Goods† (FMCG) in the Personal Care industry.

Team Analysis

Analysis of Team A Learning teams give individuals an opportunity to work together to achieve a goal or assignment. Our learning team members completed the charter to become familiar with individual strengths, areas they would like to improve and skills they can offer to the team while completing assigned tasks. The expectations we have to be successful are stated in the charter, along with methods to manage conflict if it occurs. Evaluating the team member’s self-assessments along with their contribution to the team charter will provide a basis to improve the performance of Learning Team A. Team Charter Becoming familiar with team members is the primary method to know the best way to manage the performance of a team. Completing the team charter provided the foundation for team members to express their thoughts and processes of an effective team. As a learning team we established some ground rules: necessity of a team leader, checking in with team frequently, expressing problems early on. Overall, the expectations appear to be similar among all team members: encouraging communication with team members, sharing equal responsibility for the assignments, requesting and accepting assistance when needed from other team members in order to complete an assignment on time. When these expectations are not met it could result in conflict. When conflict occurs, professionalism and a direct approach will work best to manage the situation; we agree this will allow the team members to resolve the matter and continue with assignment. Self-assessments We shared our results from the self assessments on trust, listening and personality types. The assessment on trust demonstrated how most of us have trust issues, except Michael appears to be more trusting of others, within the group. This indicates the need for us to ensure we communicate to our fellow team members our intentions and follow through, in order to build trust among each other to maintain adequate performance. Listening skills were also an assessment we performed individually; most of us were surprised to see we were not as good listeners as we thought. The scores were in the mid 40s, indicating we will need to make a concerted effort to listen to team members when communicating. Although, we are communicating in a virtual forum, it is still important for us to be aware of our weaknesses as listeners so when communicating online we avoid potential setbacks in our team performance from miscommunication. As for the Jungian personality type assessment, all the team members felt that it closely depicted them. Being aware of individual attributes or strengths will help to enhance the team’s performance by knowing what they can contribute. Larry is observant, cool, unpretentious and highly motivated. Although, we have not delegated a leader yet, I would choose him to lead our team. His personality will compliment the other personalities within the team and therefore facilitate the work that needs to be done. Michelle and Richard were assessed as problem solvers and highly conceptual, I see them as the team members that can address the problems that might delay completion of an assignment. Possibly, Michelle and Richard can ensure the assignment is broken down or develop a method to complete. Michael appears to have the personality that is out-going and a visionary. These skills compliment those of Michelle and Richard by providing innovative ideas, for instance, preparing presentations. My personality assessment represents a realistic and logical manner in which I deal with situations. This will provide the team some assurance I will keep team members informed of the assignments and progress of our team. Overall, I think we have a balanced group of personalities to ensure optimal performance as a team. Conclusion Learning team A will work together to complete assignments; the team charter defines the methods we will use to improve performance. Relying on the strengths and skills of the team members will improve the efficiency of the team. As a team, we are individuals with different personalities, strengths and weaknesses;

Nature and Nature in Cognitive Development Essay

Why are both nature and nurture important in perceptual development? How do both help a baby’s brain and sensory organs to develop?   The question of whether nature or nurture is more important in terms of perceptual development has bee long debated. In general, there are two theories that explain how humans develop these perceptions. The Nativists claim that our brains are built or hardwired to recognize certain stimuli by both design and construction. In contrast, an Empiricist would say that we learn through experience how to perceive things. There was an experiment done by Nativist researchers that sought to determine how very young mammals are able to perceive. The data concluded that early infants were able to perceive quite a lot before they really had a chance to learn anything. Gibson and Walk’s the â€Å"visual cliff† experiment was one such experiment, in this test both young animals and 6 month old human infants were taken to a side of a visual cliff, the test subjects would avoid the clearly deep drop. This indicated that children can perceive visual depth and that visual depth dominates even touch information. Additionally, studies have been done that show babies can recognize faces and that they often prefer the visual stimulation of carton faces as opposed to the same features arranged at random. In other tests it was shown that babies can also recognize whether or not and object is coming directly at their face or not. These experiments show that even the undeveloped infant brain has considerable capacity for perceptual capabilities. In contrast, several Empiricists experiments have been done as well. In one such study, scientists sought to determine the effects of depriving developing animals from perceptual stimulations. These tests have consistently shown that the longer the subject is deprived, the more severe the consequences. For example, humans are sometimes born without sight, due to a clouded cornea. Later in life some elect to have surgery to repair this clouded cornea. The result is sight, these people can see but they cannot perceive what it is that they see. As time goes on they slowly learn to distinguish one object from another, but this is however quite easily interrupted. Often changing an objects position or context is quite enough to slow down or prevent recognition. To conclude, although some argue that perception is due to nature, while others argue for nurture, it may in fact be that the two factors are interdependent and rely on each other. Support for this idea comes from an experiment that studied rats and found that those raised in a perceptually restricted environment had smaller brain development than those raised in an enriched environment, suggesting that while we are born with innate capabilities we need the environment to ensure we develop our abilities to perceive well. The perceptual capabilities we have at birth must be strengthened continuously through perceptual stimulation, furthermore, it would seem that perception in general follows the use it or lose it principle. Just as unused muscles become week, so to do our senses if left unused. Nature and nurture are both essential to health y perceptual development; stimulation begins in the womb and quickly follows all the way through adulthood. Sources . â€Å"Nature and Nurture in Perceptual Development.† . www.indiana.edu. Web. 11 Feb 2013. . . â€Å"Experiencing Sensation and Perception.† . physch.hanover.edu. Web. 11 Feb 2013. . Arterberry, M. â€Å"Perceptual Development.† . Colby College. Web. 11 Feb 2013. .

Franchising and Domino

PROJECT REPORT ON SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT OF DOMINO’S PIZZA SUBMITTED TO:SUBMITTED BY:DR. HAIDER ALI KUMAR SHANTANU ROLL NO. 22 1 MBA(E-BUSINESS) SEMESTER IV TABLE OF CONTENTS SL NO. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6 7. PARTICULARS ABOUT DOMINO’S PIZZA DOMINO’S IN INDIA MENU IN DOMINO’S COMPETITIVE STRENGTHS OF DOMINO’S BUSINESS STRATEGY OF DOMINO’S STORE OPERATIONS SUPPLY CHAIN OF DOMINO’S PAGE NO. 3 3 5 6 7 9 12 2 ABOUT DOMINO’S PIZZA Founded in 1960, Domino's Pizza is the recognized world leader in pizza delivery operating a network of company-owned and franchise-owned stores in the United States and international markets. Domino's Pizza's Vision illustrates a company of exceptional people on a mission to be the best Pizza Delivery Company in the world. Domino's started out small with the legendary Tom Monaghan who bought his first pizza store and called it Dominick's. It was re-christened Domino's Pizza in 1965. HoDomino’sver, in 1978, the 200th Domino's store opened, and things really began to cook. By 1983 there Were 1000 Domino's stores, rising to 5000 in 1989. Today, there are more than 9000 franchised and company owned stores in the United States and 60 international markets . Domino's is listed on the NYSE under the symbol â€Å"DPZ. † The Domino's Pizza ® brand was named a Megabrand by Advertising Age magazine. Domino's Pizza was named â€Å"Chain of the Year† by Pizza Today magazine, the leading publication of the pizza industry. In 2009, Domino's ranked number one in customer satisfaction in a survey of consumers of the U. S. argest limited service restaurants, according to the annual American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). Domino's has expanded its menu significantly since 2008 to include Oven Baked Sandwiches and BreadBowl Pasta, and recently debuted its ‘Inspired New Pizza'- a permanent change to its core hand-tossed product, reinvented from the crust up with new sauce, cheese and garlic seasoned crust. DOMINO’S IN INDIA Jubilant Food Works Limited, a Jubilant Bhartia Group Company holds the Master Franchisee Rights for Domino's Pizza for India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. The company has been listed on the Indian btheses recently. Prior to Sep 24, 2009, the company was known as Domino's Pizza India Limited and underwent a name change, rest of the terms remaining the 3 same. The promoters of the company are Mr. Shyam S Bhartia, Mr. Hari S Bhartia and Jubilant Enpro Private Ltd. Domino's Pizza opened its first store in India in January 1996, at New Delhi. Today Domino's Pizza India has grown into a countrywide network of more than 300 stores with a team of over 9,000 people. According to the India Retail Report 2009, It was the largest Pizza chain in India and the fastest growing multinational fast food chain betDomino’sen 2006-2007 and 2008-2009 in terms of number of stores. Over the period since 1996, Domino's Pizza India has remained focused on delivering great tasting Pizzas and sides, superior quality, exceptional customer service and value for money offerings. It has endeavored to establish a reputation for being a home delivery specialist capable of delivering pizzas within 30 minutes or else FREE to a community of loyal consumers from all the stores around the country. Domino's vision is focused on † Exceptional people on a mission to be the best pizza delivery company in the world! â€Å". It is committed to bringing fun, happiness and convenience to lives of the consumers by delivering delicious pizzas to their doorstep and efforts are aimed at fulfilling this commitment towards a large and ever-growing customer base. Domino's constantly strives to develop products that suit the tastes of the consumers and hence delighting them. Domino's believes strongly in the strategy of ‘Think global and act local'. Thus, time and again it has been innovating with delicious new products such as crusts, toppings and flavthes suitable to the taste buds of Indian Consumers. Further providing value for money and affordable products to the consumers has been an important part of it’s efforts. Domino’s initiatives such as Fun Meal and Pizza Mania have been extremely popular with consumers looking for an affordable and value for money meal option. The Brand Positioning of Khushiyon ki Home Delivery (Happiness Home delivered) is the emotional benefit it offers to the consumers. All the efforts, whether it is a new innovative and delicious product, offering consumers value for money deals, great service, country wide presence or delivery in 30 minutes or free are all oriented towards delivering happiness to the homes of the consumers. Consumers can order their pizzas by calling the single Happiness Hotline number 1800-111-123 (in most cities of Domino's Pizzas Presence) and 44448888 (in NCR, Mumbai and Bangalore). 4 MENU IN DOMINO’S VEGETARIAN SIMPLY VEG Margherita Cheese and Tomato pizza VEG I Double Cheese Margherita Fresh Veggie Country Special Farm House VEG II Peppy Paneer Mexican Green Wave Deluxe Veggie Gthemet FEAST PIZZA Veg Extravaganza NON-VEGETARIAN SIMPLY NON VEG Cheese And Barbeque Chicken NON VEG I Barbeque Chicken Spicy Chicken NON VEG II Chicken Mexican Red Wave FEAST PIZZA Meatzaa Keema Do Pyaaza Non Veg Extravaganza Chicken Golden Cheese And Delight Pepperoni SIDE ORDERS 5 VEGETARIAN Veg Mexican Wrap Veg Pasta Italiano White Veg Pasta Italiano Red Garlic Breadsticks Cheese Jalapeno Dip Cheese Dip Choco Lava Cake NON-VEGETARIAN Veg Mexican Wrap Veg Pasta Italiano White Veg Pasta Italiano Red Chicken Wings COMPETITIVE STRENGTHS OF DOMINO’S ? Strong and proven growth and earnings model:- Over a 50- year old history, it has developed a focused growth and earnings model. This model is anchored by stong store-level economics, which provide an entrepreneurial incentive for franchise, and generate demand for new stores. The franchise system in return has produced strong and consistent earnings through supply chain and royalty payments revenue, with minimal associated capital expenditures. Strong store-level economics:- It has developed a cost-efficient store model, characterized by a delivery and carry-out oriented store design, with low capital requirements and a focused menu of quality, affordable pizza and complimentary side items. At the store level, it believes that simplicity and efficiency of operations gives it advantages over its competitors. ? Strong and Overall-diversified franchis e system:- It has developed a large, global and diversified franchise network that is critical component of its system-wide success and efficient pizza delivery. The franchise system network consists of 8284 stores, 55% of which are located in United States. 6 ? Strong cash flow and earnings stream:- A substantial percentage of the earnings are generated by the commited, owner-operator franchises through royalty payments and revenues to vertically integrated supply chain system. ? Strong brand awareness:- Domino’s pizza brand is one of the most widely known consumer brand in the world. Consumers associate the brand with timely delivery of pizza, affordable pizza and complimentary side items. Domino’s brand has been routinely recognized as a megabrand by â€Å"Advertising Age†. Internal dough manufacturing and supply chain system:- In addition to generating significant revenues and earnings, the vertically integrated dough manufacturing and supply chain system enhances the quality and consistency of the products and the relationship with the franchises. It also helps in leveraging economies of scale to offer loDominoâ€⠄¢sr cost to stores and allows the store managers to better focus on store operations and customer service by relieving them of the responsibility of mixing dough in the stores. BUSINESS STRATEGY OF DOMINO’S It intends to achieve further growth and strengthen the competitive position through the continued implementation of business strategy which includes the following elements:? Continue to execute the mission statement:- The mission statement of Domino’s is â€Å"exceptional franchises and team members on a mission to be the best pizza delivery company in the world†. It implements this by following a business strategy that:- †¢ puts franchises and company owned stores at the foundation of all the thinking and decisions; †¢ emphasizes the ability to select,develop and retain exceptional team embers and franchises; 7 †¢ provides a strong infrastructure to support the stores; †¢ builds excellent store operations to create loyal customers; ? Growing the leading position in an attractive industry :- U. S. pizza delivery and carry-out are the largest components of the U. S. QSR pizza category. They are also highly fragmented. Pizza delivery, through which a majority of retail sales are generated, had sales of $10. 9 billion in the twelve months ended November 2008. As the leader in U. S. izza delivery, domino’s believes that convenient store locations, simple operating model, widely-recognized brand and efficient supply chain system are competitive advantages that position it to capitalize on future growth. Carry-out had $13. 8 billion of sales in the twelve months ended November 2008. While the primary focus is on pizza delivery, domino’s is also favorably positioned as a leader in carry-out given the strong brand, convenient store locations and quality, affordable menu offerings. ? Leveraging the strong brand awareness :- Domino’s believes that he strength of the Domino’s Pizza ® brand makes us one of the first choices of consumers seeking a convenient, quality and affordable meal. Domino’s intend to continue to promote the brand name and enhance the reputation as the leader in pizza delivery. In 2007 Domino’s launched the campaign, â€Å"You Got 30 Minutesâ„ ¢,† which built on the Company’s 30-minute delivery heritage. In 2007 and 2008, each of the domestic stores contributed 4% of their retail sales to the advertising fund for national advertising in addition to contributions for market-level advertising. Additionally, for 2007 the domestic stores within active co-operatives elected to allocate an additional 1% of their advertising contributions to support national advertising initiatives. Domino’s intend to leverage the strong brand by continuing to introduce innovative, consumer-tested and profitable new product varieties (such as Domino’s Brooklyn Style Pizza and Domino’s Oven Baked Sandwiches), complementary side items (such as buffalo wings, cheesy bread, Domino’s Buffalo Chicken Kickers ® and Cinna Stix ®) and value promotions as through marketing affiliations with brands such as Coca- Cola ®. Additionally, Domino’s may from time-to-time partner with other organizations in an effort to promote the Domino’s Pizza ® brand. Domino’s believes these opportunities, when coupled with the scale and share leadership, will allow to grow the position in U. S. pizza delivery. ? Expand and optimize the domestic store base :- Domino’s plan to continue expanding the base of domestic stores to take advantage of 8 the attractive growth opportunities in U. S. pizza delivery. Domino’s believes that the scale allows to expand the store base with limited marketing, distribution and other incremental infrastructure costs. Additionally, the franchise-oriented business model allows to expand the store base with limited capital expenditures and working capital requirements. While Domino’s plan to expand the traditional domestic store base primarily through opening new franchise stores, Domino’s will also continually evaluate the mix of Company-owned and franchise stores and strategically acquire franchise stores and refranchise Company-owned stores. Continue to grow the International Business :- Domino’s believe that pizza has global appeal and that there is strong and growing international demand for delivered pizza. Domino’s have successfully built a broad international platform, almost exclusively through the master franchise model, as evidenced by the 3,726 international stores in more than 60 countries. Domino’s be lieves that Domino’s continue to have significant long-term growth opportunities in international markets where Domino’s have established a leading presence. In the current top ten international markets, Domino’s believe that the store base in total for these ten markets is approximately half of the total long-term potential store base in those markets. Generally, Domino’s believe Domino’s will achieve long-term growth internationally as a result of the favorable store-level economics of the business model, the growing international demand for delivered pizza and the strong global recognition of the Domino’s Pizza ® brand. The international stores have produced positive quarterly same store sales growth for 60 consecutive quarters. STORE OPERATIONS Domino’s believe that the focused and proven store model provides a significant competitive advantage relative to many of the competitors who focus on multiple components of the pizza category, particularly dine-in. Domino’s have been focused on pizza delivery for 48 years. Because the domestic stores and most of the international stores do not offer dine-in areas, they typically do not require expensive real estate, are relatively small and are relatively inexpensive to build and equip. The stores also benefit from lower maintenance costs, as store assets have long lives and updates 9 re not frequently required. The simple and efficient operational processes, which Domino’s have refined through continuous improvement, include:†¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ strategic store locations to facilitate delivery service; production-oriented store designs; product and process innovations; a focused menu; efficient order taking, production and del ivery; Domino’s PULSEâ„ ¢ point-of-sale system; and a comprehensive store audit program. Strategic store locations to facilitate delivery service Domino’s locate the stores strategically to facilitate timely delivery service to the customers. The majority of the domestic stores are located in populated areas in or adjacent to large or mid-size cities, or on or near college campuses. Domino’s use geographic information software, which incorporates variables such as traffic volumes, competitor locations, household demographics and visibility, to evaluate and identify potential store locations and new markets. Production-oriented store designs The typical store is relatively small, occupying approximately 1,000 to 1,300 square feet, and is designed with a focus on efficient and timely production of consistently high quality pizza for delivery. The store layout has been refined over time to provide an efficient flow from order taking to delivery. The stores are primarily production facilities and, accordingly, do not typically have a dine-in area. Product and process innovations The 48 years of experience and innovative culture have resulted in numerous new product and process developments that increase both quality and efficiency. These include the efficient, vertically-integrated supply chain system, a sturdier corrugated pizza box and a mesh screen that helps cook pizza crust more evenly. The Domino’s HeatWave ® hot bag, which was introduced in 1998, keeps the pizzas hot during delivery. Domino’s also continue to introduce new products such as Domino’s Oven Baked Sandwiches, which Domino’s launched in 2008. Additionally, Domino’s have added a number of complementary side items to the menu such as buffalo wings, Domino’s Buffalo Chicken Kickers ®, bread sticks, cheesy bread and Cinna Stix ®. Focused menu 10 Domino’s maintain a focused menu that is designed to present an attractive, quality offering to customers, while minimizing order errors, and expediting the order taking and food preparation processes. The basic menu has three choices for pizza products: pizza type, pizza size and pizza toppings. Most of the stores carry two or three sizes of Traditional Hand-Tossed, Ultimate Deep Dish, Brooklyn Style and Crunchy Thin Crust pizza. During 2008, Domino’s added the new Domino’s Oven Baked Sandwiches to the menu that are available in fthe main varieties. The typical store also offers buffalo wings, Domino’s Buffalo Chicken Kickers ®, bread sticks, cheesy bread, Cinna Stix ® and Coca-Cola ® soft drink products. Domino’s also occasionally offer other products on a promotional basis. Domino’s believe that the focused menu creates a strong identity among consumers, improves operating efficiency and maintains food quality and consistency. Efficient order taking, production and delivery Each store executes an operational process that includes order taking, pizza preparation, cooking (via automated, conveyor-driven ovens), boxing and delivery. The entire order taking and pizza production process is designed for completion in approximately 12-15 minutes. These operational processes are supplemented by an extensive employee training program designed to ensure world-class quality and customer service. It is the priority to ensure that every Domino’s store operates in an efficient, consistent manner while maintaining the high standards of food quality and team member safety. Domino’s PULSEâ„ ¢ point-of-sale system The computerized management information systems are designed to improve operating efficiencies, provide corporate management with timely access to financial and marketing data and reduce store and corporate administrative time and expense. Domino’s have installed Domino’s PULSEâ„ ¢, the proprietary point-of-sale system, in every Company-owned store in the United States and significantly all of the domestic franchise stores. Some enhanced features of Domino’s PULSEâ„ ¢ over the previous point-ofsale system include: †¢ touch screen ordering, which improves accuracy and facilitates more efficient order taking; †¢ a delivery driver routing system, which improves delivery efficiency; †¢ improved administrative and reporting capabilities, which enable store managers to better focus on store operations and customer satisfaction; and †¢ enhanced online ordering capability, including Pizza Tracker which was introduced in 2007. Domino’s require the domestic franchisees to install Domino’s PULSEâ„ ¢ and are in the process of installing Domino’s PULSEâ„ ¢ in the remaining domestic 11 franchise stores. Additionally, Domino’s have installed Domino’s PULSEâ„ ¢ in over 1,000 international franchise stores. Comprehensive store audit program Domino’s utilize a comprehensive store audit program to ensure that the stores are meeting both the stringent standards as the expectations of the customers. The audit program focuses primarily on the quality of the pizza the store is producing, the customer service the store is providing and the condition of the store as viewed by the customer. Domino’s believe that this store audit program is an integral part of the strategy to maintain high standards in the stores. SUPPLY CHAIN OF DOMINO’S Domino’s operates in three business segments: 12 Domestic stores:- The domestic stores segment consists of the domestic franchise operations, which oversee the network of 4,558 franchise stores located in the contiguous United States, and the domestic Company-owned store operations, which operate the network of 489 Company-owned stores located in the contiguous United States; †¢ Domestic supply chain:- The domestic supply chain segment operates 17 regional dough manufacturing and food supply chain centers, one supply chain center providing equipment and supplies to certain of the domestic and international stores and one veg etable processing supply chain center; and †¢ International:- The nternational segment oversees the network of 3,726 international franchise stores in more than 60 countries. The international segment also distributes food to a limited number of markets from six dough manufacturing and supply chain centers in Alaska, Hawaii and Canada (fthe). Domestic stores During 2008, the domestic stores segment accounted for $511. 6 million, or 36%, of the consolidated revenues. The domestic franchises are operated by entrepreneurs who own and operate an average of three to fthe stores. Only six of the domestic franchisees operate more than 50 stores, including the largest domestic franchisee, which operates 144 stores. The principal sources of revenues from domestic store operations are Company-owned store sales and royalty payments based on retail sales by the franchisees. The domestic network of Company-owned stores also plays an important strategic role in the predominantly franchised operating structure. In addition to generating revenues and earnings, Domino’s use the domestic Company-owned stores as test sites for new products and promotions as Overall as store operational improvements and as forums for training new store managers and prospective franchisees. Domino’s also believe that the domestic Company-owned stores add to the economies of scale available for advertising, marketing and other costs that are primarily borne by the franchisees. While Domino’s continue to be primarily a franchised business, Domino’s continually evaluate the mix of domestic Company-owned and franchise stores in an effort to optimize the profitability. The domestic Company-owned store operations are divided into eleven geographic areas located throughout the contiguous United States while the domestic franchise operations are divided into fthe regions. The team members within these areas provide direct supervision over the domestic Company-owned stores; provide training, store operational audits and marketing services; and provide financial analysis and store development services to the franchisees. Domino’s maintain a close relationship with the franchise stores through regional franchise teams, an array of computer-based training materials that help franchise stores comply 13 ith the standards and franchise advisory groups communications betDomino’sen us and the franchisees. Domestic supply chain that facilitate During 2008, the domestic supply chain segment accounted for $771. 1 million, or 54%, of the consolidated revenues. The domestic supply chain segment is comprised of dough manufacturing and supply chain cent ers that manufacture fresh dough on a daily basis and purchase, receive, store and deliver quality pizza-related food products and complementary side items to all of the Company-owned stores and over 99% of the domestic franchise stores. Each regional dough manufacturing and supply chain center serves approximately 300 stores, generally located within a one-day delivery radius. Domino’s regularly supply approximately 5,000 stores with various supplies and ingredients, of which, eight product groups account for over 90% of the volume. The domestic supply chain segment made approximately 575,000 full-service deliveries in 2008 or betDomino’sen two and three deliveries per store, per Domino’sek; and Domino’s produced over 273 million pounds of dough during 2008. Domino’s believe that the franchisees voluntarily choose to obtain food, supplies and equipment from us because Domino’s provide the most efficient, convenient and cost-effective alternative, while also providing both quality and consistency. In addition, the domestic supply chain segment offers a profitsharing arrangement to stores that purchase all of their food from the domestic dough manufacturing and supply chain centers. This profit-sharing arrangement generally provides domestic Company-owned stores and participating franchisees with 50% of their regional supply chain center’s pre-tax profits. Profits are shared with the franchisees based upon each franchisee’s purchases from the supply chain centers. Domino’s believe these arrangements strengthen the ties with these franchisees. The information systems used by the domestic dough manufacturing and supply chain centers are an integral part of the quality service Domino’s provide the stores. Domino’s use routing strategies and software to optimize the daily delivery schedules, which maximizes on-time deliveries. Through the strategic dough manufacturing and supply chain center locations and proven routing systems, Domino’s achieved delivery accuracy rates of approximately 99% during 2008. The supply chain center drivers unload food and supplies and stock store shelves typically during non-peak store hthes, which minimizes disruptions in store operations. International During 2008, the international segment accounted for $142. 4 million, or 10%, of the consolidated revenues. Domino’s have 592 franchise stores in Mexico, representing the largest presence of any QSR company in Mexico, 512 franchise stores in the United Kingdom, 412 franchise stores in Australia, 14 305 franchise stores in South Korea, 296 franchise stores in Canada, 227 franchise stores in India and over 100 franchise stores in each of Japan, France, Taiwan and Turkey. The principal sources of revenues from the international operations are royalty payments generated by retail sales from franchise stores and sales of food and supplies to franchisees in certain markets. Domino’s have grown by more than 1,200 international stores over the past five years. Domino’s empower the managers and franchisees to adapt the standard operating model, within certain parameters, to satisfy the local eating habits and consumer preferences of various regions outside the contiguous United States. Currently, most of the international stores are operated under master franchise agreements, and Domino’s plan to continue entering into master franchise agreements with qualified franchisees to expand the international operations in selected countries. Domino’s believe that the international franchise stores appeal to potential franchisees because of the Overall-recognized brand name, the limited capital expenditures required to open and operate the stores and the system’s favorable store economics. The following table shows the store count as of December 28, 2008 in the top ten international markets, which account for 78% of the international stores. Number of stores Mexico 592 United Kingdom 512 Australia 412 South Korea 305 Canada 296 India 227 Japan 181 France 140 Taiwan 120 Turkey 106 The franchise program As of December 28, 2008, the 4,558 domestic franchise stores Were owned and operated by the 1,216 domestic franchisees. The success of the franchise formula, which enables franchisees to benefit from the brand name with a relatively low initial capital investment, has attracted a large number of motivated entrepreneurs as franchisees. As of December 28, 2008, the average domestic franchisee operated approximately three to fthe stores and had been in the franchise system for tDomino’slve years. At the same time, only six of the domestic franchisees operated more than 50 stores, including the largest domestic franchisee, which operates 144 stores. Domestic franchises 15 Domino’s apply rigorous standards to prospective franchises. Domino’s generally require prospective domestic franchises to manage a store for at least one year before being granted a franchise. This enables us to observe the operational and financial performance of a potential franchisee prior to entering into a long-term contract. Domino’s also generally restrict the ability of domestic franchisees to become involved in other businesses, which focuses the franchisees’ attention on operating their stores. As a result, the vast majority of the franchisees come from within the Domino’s Pizza system. Domino’s believe these standards are unique to the franchise industry and result in qualified and focused franchisees operating their stores. Franchise agreements Domino’s enter into franchise agreements with domestic franchisees under which the franchisee is granted the right to operate a store in a particular location for a term of ten years, with options to renew for an additional term of ten years. Domino’s currently have a franchise contract renewal rate of over 99%. Under the current standard franchise agreement, Domino’s assign an exclusive area of primary responsibility to each franchise store. During the term of the franchise agreement, the franchisee is required to pay a 5. 5% royalty fee on sales, subject, in limited instances, to loDomino’sr rates based on area development agreements, sales initiatives and new store incentives. Domino’s have the contractual right, subject to state law, to terminate a franchise agreement for a variety of reasons, including, but not limited to, a franchisee’s failure to make required payments when due or failure to adhere to specified Company policies and standards. Franchise store development Domino’s provide domestic franchisees with assistance in selecting store sites and conforming the space to the physical specifications required for a Domino’s Pizza store. Each domestic franchisee selects the location and design for each store, subject to the approval, based on accessibility and visibility of the site and demographic factors, including population density and anticipated traffic levels. Domino’s provide design plans and sell fixtures and equipment to most of the franchise stores. Franchise training nd support Training store managers and employees is a critical component of the success. Domino’s require all domestic franchisees to complete initial and ongoing training programs provided by us. In addition, under the standard domestic franchise agreement, domestic franchisees are required to implement training programs for their store employees. Domino’s assist the 16 domestic and international franchisees by making training materials available to them for their use in training store managers and employees, including computer-based training materials, comprehensive operations manuals and franchise development classes. Domino’s also maintain communications with the franchisees online, through various newsletters and through face-to-face meetings. Franchise operations Domino’s enforce stringent standards over franchise operations to protect the Domino’s Pizza ® brand. All franchisees are required to operate their stores in compliance with written policies, standards and specifications, which include matters such as menu items, ingredients, materials, supplies, services, furnishings, decor and signs. Each franchisee has full discretion to determine the prices to be charged to customers. Domino’s also provide ongoing support to the franchisees, including training, marketing assistance and consultation to franchisees who experience financial or operational difficulties. Domino’s have established several advisory boards, through which franchisees contribute to developing systemwide initiatives. International franchises The vast majority of the markets outside of the contiguous United States are operated by master franchisees with franchise and distribution rights for entire regions or countries. In select regions or countries, Domino’s franchise directly to individual store operators. The master franchise agreements generally grant the franchisee exclusive rights to develop or sub-franchise stores and the right to operate supply chain centers in a particular geographic area for a term of ten to tDomino’snty years, with options to renew for additional terms. The agreements typically contain growth clauses requiring franchisees to open a minimum number of stores within a specified period. Prospective master franchisees are required to possess or have access to local market knowledge required to establish and develop Domino’s Pizza stores. The local market knowledge focuses on the ability to identify and access targeted real estate sites along with expertise in local customs, culture, consumer behavior and laws. Domino’s also seek candidates that have access to sufficient capital to meet their growth and development plans. The master franchisee is generally required to pay an initial, one-time franchise fee as Overall as an additional franchise fee upon the opening of each new store. In addition, the master franchisee is required to pay a continuing royalty fee as a percentage of retail sales, which varies among international markets. Marketing operations 17 The domestic stores generally contribute betDomino’sen 4% to 5% of their retail sales to fund national marketing and advertising campaigns. In addition to the required national advertising contributions, in those markets where Domino’s have co-operative advertising programs, the domestic stores also generally contribute to market-level media campaigns. These national and market-level funds are administered by Domino’s National Advertising Fund Inc. , or DNAF, the not-for-profit advertising subsidiary. The funds remitted to DNAF are used primarily to purchase television advertising, but also support market research, field communications, public relations, commercial production, talent payments and other activities supporting the Domino’s Pizza ® brand. DNAF also provides cost-effective print materials to the domestic stores for use in local marketing that reinforce the national branding strategy. In addition to the national and market-level advertising contributions, domestic stores spend additional amounts on local store marketing, including targeted database mailings, saturation print mailings and community involvement through school and civic organizations. Additionally, Domino’s may from time-to-time partner with other organizations in an effort to promote the Domino’s Pizza ® brand. By communicating a common brand message at the national, local market and store levels, Domino’s create and reinforce a poDomino’srful, consistent marketing message to consumers. This is evidenced by the successful previous marketing campaign with the slogan â€Å"Get the Door. It’s Domino’s.  ®Ã¢â‚¬  and the current marketing campaign with the slogan â€Å"You Got 30 Minutes. â„ ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Over the past five years, Domino’s estimate that domestic stores have invested approximately $1. 4 billion on national, local and co-operative advertising. Internationally, marketing efforts are primarily the responsibility of the franchisee in each local market. Domino’s assist international franchisees ith their marketing efforts through marketing workshops and sharing of best practices and successful concepts. Third-party suppliers Domino’s have maintained active relationships of 15 years or more with more than half of the major suppliers. The suppliers are required to meet strict quality standards to ensure food safety. Domino’s review and evaluate the suppliers’ quality assurance programs through, among other acti ons, onsite visits, third party audits and product evaluations to ensure compliance with the standards. Domino’s believe that the length and quality of the relationships with suppliers provides us with priority service and quality products at competitive prices. Domino’s believe that two factors have been critical to maintaining longlasting relationships and keeping the purchasing costs low. First, Domino’s are one of the largest domestic volume purchasers of pizza-related products such as flthe, cheese, sauce and pizza boxes, which allows us to maximize leverage with the suppliers when items are put out for bid on a scheduled 18 asis. Second, Domino’s use a combination of single-source and multi-source procurement strategies. Each supply category is evaluated along a number of criteria including value of purchasing leverage, consistency of quality and reliability of supply to determine the appropriate number of suppliers. Domino’s currently purchase the pizza cheese from a single supplier. In 2007, the Company entered into a new arrangement with this supplier. Under this arrangement, the supplier agreed to provide an uninterrupted supply of cheese and the Company agreed to a five year pricing period during which it agreed to purchase all of its primary pizza cheese for the Company’s United States stores from this supplier or, alternatively, pay to the supplier an amount reflecting any benefit previously received by the Company under the new pricing terms. The pricing schedule is directly correlated to the CME block cheddar price. The majority of the meat toppings come from a single supplier under a contract that began in July 2008 and expires in July 2010. The Crunchy Thin Crust dough is currently sourced by another single supplier pursuant to requirements contracts that expire in 2009. Domino’s have the right to terminate these arrangements for quality failures and for uncured breaches. Domino’s believe that alternative suppliers for all of these ingredients are available, and all of the pizza boxes, sauces and other ingredients are sourced from various suppliers. While Domino’s may incur additional costs if Domino’s are required to replace any of the suppliers, Domino’s do not believe that such additional costs would have a material adverse effect on the business. Domino’s also entered into a multi-year agreement with Coca-Cola effective January 1, 2003 for the contiguous United States. The contract provides for Coca-Cola to be the exclusive beverage supplier and expires on the later of December 31, 2009 or such time as a minimum number of cases of Coca-Cola ® products are purchased by us. Domino’s continually evaluate each supply category to determine the optimal sourcing strategy. It has not experienced any significant shortages of supplies or any delays in receiving our food or beverage inventories, restaurant supplies or products. The current economic environment has created additional financial pressures for some of the suppliers; however it does not currently anticipate disruptions in our supplies. Prices charged by suppliers are subject to fluctuation, and domino’s has historically been able to pass increased costs and savings on to stores. It may periodically enter into financial instruments to manage the risk from changes in commodity prices. Domino’s does not engage in speculative transactions nor does it holds or issue financial instruments for trading purposes. 19